Angels Fall

Anna Laudel is pleased to present Lennart Brede's solo exhibition "ANGELS FALL – Where From Where To" from September 20 to November 10, 2024.

Lennart Brede’s exhibition "ANGELS FALL - Where From Where To" engages with profound questions about identity, personal origins, and the influence of environment on the human experience. At the heart of Brede's work lies an exploration of the journey we all undergo from birth—the transition from the safety of the womb to the challenging realities of life on Earth.

Brede’s artistic discourse focuses on the continuous search for identity in relation to one's socialization and the landscapes in which one has grown. He explores the literal and metaphorical significance of the "ground" from which we come. Phrases like "the soil you are made of" evoke deep connections to place and origin, as well as the burden of gravity and the limitations it imposes. In contrast, Brede juxtaposes this with imagery of breaking free from the ground—depictions of bodies in motion, defying the pull of gravity, such as in his Swimmers series. This tension between being grounded and the desire to transcend is a central theme in his work.

The bodies of athletes in his Swimmer series become metaphors for this struggle, symbolizing the ongoing cycle of pushing boundaries and returning to one’s roots. Brede captures this beautifully through surreal, almost dreamlike aesthetics that reflect the human desire for freedom, security, and self-understanding.

A key component of the exhibition is the 3-channel video installation, accompanied by an audio track created from recordings of subsoil frequencies and the movement of earth and rocks. Sound, often tied to primal memories, is central to the experience, evoking a deep, intuitive connection to the physical world.

The installation "DU MUSST JETZT DOLLE STARK SEIN" ties these themes together, critiquing the social expectations we encounter throughout life. It presents a complex play on language and imagery, with a bodybuilder in a competition bikini and knight’s armor, symbolizing the dual pressures of strength and vulnerability imposed on different genders. This visual metaphor highlights the binaries and stereotypes that still persist in contemporary society.

"ANGELS FALL – Where From Where To" offers a multi-layered, multimedia exploration of questions that resonate deeply with the human experience. Brede’s work does not aim to provide definitive answers but rather encourages viewers to engage with the evolving nature of their identities, their environments, and the social structures that shape their lives. It is this open-ended, reflective quality that makes the exhibition both relevant and fascinating.